UDFAs' total money guaranteed

Yesterday, I posted a list of the signing bonuses that we handed out to our first 21 UDFAs. Later, a report came out that Ron Leary was guaranteed an additional $205,000. I was able to confirm that and found four more UDFAs to whom we gave partial salary guarantees. I'm pretty certain that guaranteeing part of a UDFA's salary is something new, as a way around the new limit on how much in signing bonuses a team can give UDFAs.

This new list gives a more accurate picture of how the team views these players and answers questions about why some UDFAs did not receive a signing bonus --

Oh wow.. I see some team complaining and that loophole being closed at some point.

I'm sure John Mara is on the phone at this very moment with Roger Goodell discussing how the Cowboys should be punished for violating a rule that doesn't exist. The Redskins will also be punished for having ugly uniforms.

They get the guaranteed part of their salary even if they get cut. They just don't get it right now.

Hughlett's a bit of a surprise at $10,000 guaranteed considering Dallas has Ladouceur. Either that was the going rate to get an LS into camp or the Cowboys are hoping he might be good enough that they can get younger at the position.

Of course, I'm thinking $5,000 guaranteed wouldn't hold any real significance, so for Dallas that probably holds true for $10,000.

Also, the Benford deal shows Dallas might think more highly of him than it seemed with the $0 bonus.

I'm sure John Mara is on the phone at this very moment with Roger Goodell discussing how the Cowboys should be punished for violating a rule that doesn't exist. The Redskins will also be punished for having ugly uniforms.

I believe the rookie salary minimum for 2012 is $390,000, with everyone else making considerably more. So, I don't believe that incurring $214,000 in dead money for this season would prevent the Cowboy from cutting him, if he is not any good.

This is obviously not something you want to do a lot of, or the team will wind up with salary-cap problems. But, I am glad the Cowboys have figured out a way to circumvent that ridiculously low UDFA cap and spend some more of Jerry Jones' money in an instance where they think a player has a good chance to really help the team.

Hughlett's a bit of a surprise at $10,000 guaranteed considering Dallas has Ladouceur. Either that was the going rate to get an LS into camp or the Cowboys are hoping he might be good enough that they can get younger at the position.

Of course, I'm thinking $5,000 guaranteed wouldn't hold any real significance, so for Dallas that probably holds true for $10,000.

Also, the Benford deal shows Dallas might think more highly of him than it seemed with the $0 bonus.

LS is one of the most under rated positions and we have one of the very best in the NFL. More likely a camp body with some hope then any expectation

Well he probably also thought he had a good shot at making the roster over guys like Killa, Nagy, Costa and Arkin. We'll probably keep 6 interior OL and right now I"d say only two of those spots are guaranteed on the roster - Livings and Mack. So there are 4 spots up for grabs and all he has to do is beat one of the four guys I just mentioned.

But how do we KNOW the new guy would be as good? Since we would have to cut JP before the season; before the kid had seen the real pressure.

Frankly a couple of million a year for perfect snaps and no worries there is a cheap price. Considering one bad snap can lose a game.

I wouldn't pay the long snapper more than I would pay the kicker.

I would pay him about what I would pay a league average punter.

Anything more than that is money wasted and we should search for a cheaper alternative.

To maximize the use of cap space you have to get efficiency out of every dollar paid. If someone else can do the job nearly as well for 1.6M savings then you make the move.

As for how he will do in games, you have college tape to look at. Then you can watch him long snap a few thousand times during TC and PS if you so desire. If he has proven he can do the job under pressure in college and shows great proficiency in the camp you go ahead and make the move.